THE ENGAGEMENT NEAR SPRING HILL
The course of the first battalion of the Riverlawn Cavalry was along a
path scarcely wide enough for four horsemen to ride abreast. It was
through a thicket of dwarf trees, the limbs of which took off many a hat
and scratched hands and faces. At several points the riders came to
hollows, filled with icy water, and here detours had to be made, for
fear the animals might become stuck in the stiff soil beneath.
As was his usual habit, Deck rode at the head of his command, with
Captain Abbey, of the first company, beside him. Several scouts had been
sent out and with them had gone Artie Lyon, by special permission of the
major.
The scouts soon found the road making a broad sweep to the south, and
presently came to a point where there was a clearing in the woods and a
brook. Here they stopped their horses for a drink, and Artie pointed out
some fresh tracks leading up the watercourse. The tracks were of men as
well as horses.
"Let us investigate those tracks," he said to Lieutenant Fronklyn, who
was one of the party. "I think they are about what we are looking for."
"I wouldn't be surprised," answered Fronklyn, who, as old readers know,
had frequently been on the scout with Deck, and he knew a thing or two
about the business. "Do we go afoot, Captain?"
"I think we had better."
The horses were tethered in the brush, and the pair advanced along the
brook with caution. Soon the trail led to the westward, and here they
found themselves confronted by a series of rocks, overgrown by moss and
covered with dead leaves. Fronklyn stopped and scratched his head.
"Are we stumped?" questioned Artie. He got down on his knees and
commenced to examine the moss. "I reckon we can follow the trail in
spite of the rocks. Come ahead," and again they advanced.
The rocks ran up and then down. At the other side was another clearing,
and not far away the regular road to Rover.
"Halt!" whispered Artie, catching his companion by the arm. "There they
are, as sure as guns!" and he pointed to their left.
The young captain was right. Encamped on the edge of the clearing, and
not over two hundred yards from the Rover road, was a company of
Confederate cavalry. The men were taking it easy, smoking and playing
cards. Not even a picket appeared in their vicinity.
"Let us count them," whispered Artie, and began the task, while Fronklyn
did the same. They settled on forty-three men, not counting several who
could be heard talking, but who were out of sight.
"Half a hundred," murmured the young captain. "If we are smart we ought
to be able to bag the lot. Come on back, just as quickly as we can make
it;" and he caught Fronklyn by the arm a second time.
When the brook was again reached, the other scouts were called in, and
all lost no time in reporting to Deck. The major listened to what Artie
and Fronklyn had to say with interest, and nodded when Artie spoke of
bagging the lot.
"You are right," he said, and sent for Captains Abbey, Blenks, and
Richland of the other companies.
It was soon arranged that the first and second companies should proceed
along the regular road until the vicinity of the Confederate camp was
reached. In the meantime the third and fourth companies under Captain
Richland were to take to the trail Artie had discovered, thus covering
the enemy's rear.
"As soon as we reach our position, I will send out Lieutenant Fronklyn
to ascertain your arrival," said the major. "Then the four companies
will take their positions north, west, east, and south as they rank. The
enemy will thus be completely surrounded, and as our men will be
protected by the woods, I do not see how they can do anything but
surrender, unless they submit themselves to great slaughter."
"But supposing they make a break?" was the question put by Captain
Richland.
"If they do, it will depend upon circumstances as to what shall be done,
and I'll send you further orders," answered the major.
The two commands separated, and Deck rode forward at the head of the
first detachment. The approach to the Confederate encampment by the
regular road was considerably longer than by the brook route, but the
latter way was the rougher of the two; so the young commander judged
that both detachments would arrive at their destinations at about the
same time. In this his supposition proved correct.
As before, scouts were sent out, Fronklyn at the head of the first
detachment and Lieutenant Black at the head of the second, each with
three men under him. It was wise that this was done, for the
Confederates had just begun to throw out pickets, having received word
that Rosecrans was sending troops after Wheeler and feeling the boys in
blue must come somewhere in the neighborhood of where they were
stopping. Each advanced guard managed to bag two pickets, silencing them
ere they had a chance to make any outcry.
"Who is in command of your company?" questioned Deck, when one of the
pickets was brought to him.
"Captain Barstow."
"How many men has he?"
"About twice as many as you," answered the Confederate, hoping to scare
the Unionists off.
"Indeed," rejoined the major. "That is all," and the captured one was
led to the rear.
There was a sharp turn in the road some distance from the camp of the
enemy, and here the first detachment rested, while Fronklyn hurried
through the woods to get word from Captain Richland. He found the second
detachment just crossing the rocks, and, waiting until the two companies
were located as ordered, reported the fact to the major.
The engagement was opened by the enemy, who, on finding themselves
confronted in the rear by the two companies at the rocks, began a
scattering fire and retreated toward the Rover road. The second
detachment of the Riverlawns returned the fire with deadly effect, and
four Confederates were either killed or wounded. In their hurry to leave
the exposed camp, the enemy left nearly its whole outfit behind.
But down on the main road matters were still worse for them, for they
almost ran into the first company, while the second company opened upon
their right. Bewildered, they came to a halt, and looked inquiringly at
their captain, while two other men dropped.
"Left wheel, double-quick march!" yelled Captain Barstow. "Load!" And
away they went, loading as they ran. But at the base of the rocks they
came to another halt, for from the trees some distance back glinted
nearly a hundred carbine barrels. They turned again to find more
carbines on the other side.
The first detachment had now come closer, and the Confederates were
completely hemmed in, with hardly a tree to shelter them. In this
position Major Deck called on them to surrender.
"If you don't do it, my troops will cut you to pieces," he added.
The captain of the Confederates wanted to fight, and to gain time
attempted to parley over terms. But Deck would not listen to him; and
five minutes later the company threw down their arms, and the angry
commander was forced to give up his sword.
It was learned that the captured body numbered but thirty-six men, the
others having either been shot down or having left the camp between the
time that Artie and Fronklyn made their discovery and the contest
opened. The wounded were cared for and placed in a farm wagon borrowed
from a planter in the vicinity, and the prisoners were marched along the
Rover road to where the second and third battalions of the Riverlawns
were stationed.
"You did well, Dexter," said the colonel, when he had been informed of
the course of events. "To capture such a force with only the loss of one
man killed and three wounded was remarkable," and he smiled
affectionately.
"I didn't do very much myself," said the major, modestly. "Artie and
Lieutenant Fronklyn found the rebels and I ordered the only thing done
that seemed practicable--to surround them."
"I see you still have your neck tied up. Does it hurt much?"
"A little, but not enough to speak about. Artie's wound was much the
worse of the two."
"You must not be rash. Captain Abbey tells me that you exposed yourself
several times while giving orders."
"I can't remain in the rear, father," pleaded the major. "How would it
look?"
"My first battalion can't afford to lose its major, Dexter. You owe a
duty to your command, as well as to yourself and me;" and here the
conversation dropped.
The larger portion of the cavalry had moved forward toward Rover, and
here another body of Minty's command encountered a small regiment of
Confederates and captured them. To this body of the defeated were added
the force taken by Major Deck.
Following the commands of General Rosecrans, Steedman moved forward by
way of Triune and Nolinsville, and joined Davis's forces at Franklin.
But Wheeler was on the alert, and by pushing forward at his utmost
speed, managed to pass between those in his pursuit. On the third day of
February he reached Dover, and there forced a fight with Colonel
Harding, commanding about six hundred and fifty men of the Eighty-third
Illinois. The latter was well intrenched at the new site of Fort
Donelson, and bravely resisted two savage attacks, then charged over his
works and captured nearly half a hundred of the enemy. In his double
onslaught Wheeler lost five hundred and fifty in killed and wounded,
while the loss to the Union forces was less than a hundred, exclusive
of fifty soldiers who were captured. With broken ranks Wheeler started
on his retreat through Centerville. Davis's command tried their best to
cut him off, and so did a portion of Minty's cavalry, but the
Confederate could not be caught, and he escaped with the remnant of his
troops across Duck River. It may be added here that when Colonel Harding
charged over his breastworks, he was sustained by the fire of several
gunboats on the river, which were bound for Nashville with a number of
transports.
The affair near Rover ended the present series of conflicts so far as
the Riverlawn Cavalry was concerned, and they went into camp once more
and were again joined by Batterson's battery. But the Confederates
continued to be active, and early in March an encounter took place three
miles outside of Spring Hill and another at Thompson's Station. The
Union forces, under Coburn, were outnumbered and compelled to surrender;
but the victory was of little value to the Confederates, since it did
nothing for the advancement of their position.
On the 7th of March General Phil Sheridan moved with his division to
Franklin, where he was joined by troops from Nashville and by Minty's
cavalry. The object was to learn the enemy's true position. Van Dorn,
the rebel leader, was at Spring Hill, and Granger was sent to dislodge
him. This was done with the aid of several other Union troops, and Van
Dorn was pursued as far as Rutherford Creek.
Once more the Riverlawns found themselves in the saddle and posted on a
side road not half a mile from the scene of the initial blows of the
battle. The road was a winding affair, and the several battalions
covered not only the highway, but also the hemp fields on either side.
They were kept waiting for nearly an hour, when a staff officer came
galloping up and informed Colonel Lyon that a portion of the enemy was
cutting through a woods to the northeast.
"You are to cut them off, Colonel Lyon," added the officer. "The general
leaves the details of the movement to yourself."
"How many are coming?" asked the commandant of the Riverlawns.
"Five or six hundred, at least."
Colonel Lyon said no more, but at once directed his regiment to break
into battalions. The first was to move up the road for an eighth of a
mile, the second was to cut directly across the hemp field on the left,
while the third was to follow the first, as a reserve, keeping as well
posted as possible on the movements of Deck's companies.
In less than five minutes Major Belthorpe's battalion was galloping
across the field as fast as the nature of the soil permitted, while Deck
was moving up the highway at equal speed. Soon a patch of timber cut off
the view of the first battalion by the second.
Major Deck now felt it "in his bones" that some sharp fighting was in
store for his men, and in this he was not mistaken. The position
determined upon by the colonel had hardly been gained when the
Confederate detachment, consisting of several companies of cavalry and a
like number of infantry, discovered the battalion in the hemp field, and
opened fire.
Understanding fully Colonel Lyon's scheme, Major Belthorpe now swung
around to the enemy's rear, the movement being easy on account of a
fence and a hedge at the further entrance to the enclosure. They
returned the fire, and several men fell upon both sides.
A slight rise in the centre of the hemp field cut off the view of the
road from the woods, and now the commander of the Confederate forces
thought he saw a clear opening before him, leading directly for
Rutherford Creek. He resolved to move in a semicircle also, and make for
the road, and gave his commands accordingly.
The march of the enemy's forces brought him on the road, midway between
the first battalion and the third, situated, as before stated, an eighth
of a mile apart. Owing to the winding course of the highway he did not
see either battalion until it was too late to retreat. Deck marched down
upon him, and Major Truman marched up, and he was caught between two
fires, with the second battalion pressing him in the rear.
But the Confederate leader was a "fire-eater," in the most positive
meaning of that term, and he resolved to make a dash for liberty by
attempting to break through Deck's command, since the field on the
road's right did not look like a promising one to enter, being broken by
a ditch and several swamps, into which horses and infantry were bound
to go down. He yelled to his leading cavalry to follow him, and, waving
his sabre over his head, charged down upon Deck like a veritable demon.